Who We Are
We are proud to announce our, sister location to The Claypen, West Hartford family: The Firestone | art studio + café, which will be located in Manchester, CT. The Claypen has been a fixture of West Hartford Center for over 20 years. With many customers coming from east of the river, we’ve had requests to have an option closer to home as well as a business need for a larger space to accommodate parties and events. We have been working behind the scenes for quite some time to find the perfect location to meet all these needs and are ready to make the official announcement. The Firestone | Art Studio + Café will open Fall 2019. We will be located right on Main Street in Manchester, CT, an area that is dedicated to growth and development and keeping its community at the focus. 1115 Main Street has a long history in the Manchester community and we’d like to respect and honor that. Pinewood Furniture was run and operated by the Ed Firestone, who has been a fixture on Main Street for over 24 years. Ed Firestone worked with us closely to make this exchange go as smoothly as possible and is onto his well-deserved retirement. We appreciate all of his cooperation on this journey and are excited to mirror his commitment to Manchester and the community. What We Offer The art studio at The Firestone will offer DIY projects, available on a walk-in basis as well as a variety of events. Our studio will be open 9am-9pm daily. During our open studio hours, you can create your own project, such as:
We will continue to offer workshops in both locations. The Firestone will utilize our party/meeting space to offer additional classes and educational opportunities. This party space will also be available for private parties, team building events and more. In addition to the DIY arts, we will also have a café on site! Our emphasis in the café will be good food, sourced locally. We are proud to be teaming up with CT based vendors to provide our ingredients and beverage options, including:
Why Manchester? Manchester, CT -- especially the downtown area -- is a thriving area for small businesses. We are fond of their atmosphere, proximity to other small businesses, its active community, and its plans for development and growth. It’s no surprise that Manchester has been voted Money Magazine’s #1 Place to live in Connecticut 2018! We have had requests for years to have something on the other side of the river available for customers who were often making the trek out to see us with small children and wanted to have something more convenient to them. Manchester is that perfect location. Manchester is committed to long term growth. Their newest initiative, Downtown 2020 , exemplifies this commitment. We are proud to say The Firestone will be the first project to receive funds from the Manchester Downtown Investment Fund Loan Program. The Town’s Board of Directors established the program earlier this year to promote economic development by partnering with property owners to address contemporary code and access requirements that may serve as financial barriers for transformative property development projects. Learn More Want to stay up to date with The Firestone project? Connect with us on
We know you have questions! Please leave your questions + comments below for us to get you ready for this exciting new venture and your new favorite spot!
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By: Danielle Kearns The summer is flashing by! Let's talk about my favorite items to paint this summer, which are exclusive to our summer shelves. Paint them before they're gone. 1. ice cream cone bowl + pint mug Who doesn't need more ways to enjoy their summer ice cream? These are my two current favorites. The first is our ice cream cone bowl. The second, a pint mug, which is the perfect size to fit your favorite flavor of Ben & Jerry's ice cream to enjoy in the comfort of your home air conditioning and reduce the mess.
2. rope bowl We LOVE these nautical rope bowls, new these year. They make a wonderful center piece for your summer table or can be used to plant flowers or simply hold your keys. They are the perfect "catch all."  3. lighthouse lantern An iconic image for Connecticut and all of our favorite beach towns. Put in a tea light candle to illuminate this lantern from within. I have one on my mantel, but it's perfect for the front porch with a citronella candle.  4. sea shell hanging lantern Put these all around your outdoor summer table to give the perfect ambiance to your evening at the beach house. These can be hung around the garden to create an enchanted atmosphere.  5. beach pails We love these for flower pots, but they're also perfect to play in the kiddie pool or bring to the beach with you. Check out the sample below painted with our specialty glaze, perfectly named "Mermaid Scales."  Missing a seasonal favorite? Comment below with your suggestions and questions. We'll let you know if we have them in!
Photos provided by Gare, Inc. Earn rewards all summer long with new claypen BINGO + our summer scavenger hunt. By: Danielle Kearns Get your inner child ready for some summer fun. The claypen will be offering several interactive games this summer to keep you (and the kids) coming back for more and earning extra rewards with us. Claypen BINGO First up, claypen BINGO! Running until September 15th, we are hoping to inspire you to create and try new things around our studio. Check out our technique cards, polka dot your piece, try a special pottery glaze, and more. You can earn up to 3 stamps per visit, all working towards your ultimate goal -- a BINGO! Earn coupons, merchandise, or free studio time with your win. The more you try, the more you earn! Each member of the family will get their own playing card. Don't forget to bring it with you each visit to earn your stamp. See the photos below to get a glimpse of the playing card. Cards can be picked up at the front desk of the studio. Summer Scavenger Hunt But don't leave our gnome friends out of this. We will be hiding our gnomes every Monday throughout West Hartford Center in our Summer Scavenger Hunt. Your job is to find them and bring them back to the studio to earn prizes. The hiding spots will become progressively harder throughout the summer, so the rewards will increase week to week! You must return the gnome in order to receive your prize. Clues will be provided every Monday via Instagram + Facebook, so be sure to Like + Follow us to increase your chances of winning. Don't forget to watch our stories for even more info and secret hints. People have absolutely been loving these gnomes, by the way. We have this design, plus several more options, available to paint at the studio. (Check out the photos below.) These are the perfect addition to any garden, so come on in and make one for your home. It might even earn you a BINGO. Get a great deal on all your holiday decorations in July, before the crowds, and at a great rate!  By: Danielle Kearns We are THRILLED to announce our Christmas in July event is only a week away. Come visit us to spread the cheer and get your Christmas prep done early. We will be providing light snacks and Christmas music galore. All items come with a light kit, which will warm your spirit and your home. Choose from a cactus tree, vintage ceramic tree, or pick-up truck with tree. (The cactus tree is brand NEW this year, so if you've done one of our tree workshops before, this has never been available.) The other items are our best sellers and have SOLD OUT in the past. By signing up for this event, you will not only be ensuring your item, but getting it a discounted pre-season rate. Once these workshops come back in the Fall, prices will be increased due to the seasonal rush and needs of our studio. You will have access to our specialty glazes, which provide the most awesome finish and color variance to your piece. Check out the photos below to see how our trees transformed last year and why we had over 100 trees created with us. There will be more tree workshops to come in the Fall, so if you can't make this one or it sells out, stay tuned for upcoming dates. Join our email list to be the first to know about specials before they go live on social.
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authorDanielle is a CT native, She started at The Claypen in 2018 as a Studio Associate and quickly became a Team Lead and our resident blogger on staff. She now manages The Firestone, our sister studio in Manchester. 
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